Yay! Another chapter here! Okay, guys if you could do me a HUGE favor, I would love you all very very much. Please, please, please send me (appropriate) words that begin with "f" that could be relating to love, vampires, all that stuff! Thanks! In case you didn't notice, I have a theme going on for the chapter names. This one isn't that good, but if you have a better one in mind, let me know :). This chapter is dedictated to my beta, Amber-is-a-Jasper's-Girl. And yes, indeed, in a oneshot I am writing, you ARE! (Told you I would write an Amber/Jasper fic for you).
Okay, so nobody's said this yet, but I will not deny that my chapters are short. I prefer to write shorter chapters. It's more likely that people will read it (who wants to catch up to a story that has tons and tons of scrolling down?) and it's easier for me to write without it sounding strained. To be truthful, these chapters are the longest I've written for fanfiction. 5, 6, 7 pages on Word, every single one. I get surprised by myself.
Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.
As soon as the human was out of the house, I crept back into her room. I planned to spend my day learning everything. I would need to if I wanted to pull this off. I needed her to fall in love with me, even after all I had done. It would be a challenge, but I couldn't wait to try. If I needed to, I could always manipulate her emotions until it became true.
But first things first- I needed to make my mark. I walked cautiously around the room, brushing my fingers across her bedcovers, letting my breath fall on her closet, making sure my scent lingered. This was my territory. To be truthful, I was nervous that she would come and find me, with back up this time. It sounded like she had a lot.
Then I remembered her crazy tales of so long ago. She told me of her visions, in that small, dark room. She shared her deepest secrets- she trusted me.
--Flashback--
Alice closed the door to her room behind her and sighed. The hotel was filled with the scent of blood. My mouth watered and she laid a hand on my chest gently.
"Jasper," she whispered. "Control." I breathed deeply, and then decided to forgo breathing altogether. She smiled slightly.
"I don't know their last name, but they are a family… I'm sure," she began to tell me. "They drink from animals, isn't that so… fascinating? They have a permanent home, as well! They live there and go to school and go in public-"
"During the day?" I asked her, astonished. She grinned, the most wonderful sight I had ever seen.
"Yes, of course during the day! They live in a rainy place," she explained.
--Flashback--
They went to school, this vampire family. She had found them. She was a part of it now. My heart panged when I remembered that I was supposed the have been with her. I brushed it aside and resumed my search.
Bella liked the classics, I could tell. Her worn books smelled of her strongly. I flipped absently through a copy of Wuthering Heights. It was old, but the common smell of dust from old books was absent. I set it down carefully where I had found it.
She didn't have many clothes geared for life in a rainy place, where it snowed and poured. Lying on the ground beside her bed was a light, white blouse- it smelled fresh.
Once I was done poking around her room, I decided to search the rest of the house. Her father was the police chief, Charlie Swan, and he was currently working on the disappearance of the little girl I had killed. She had tasted marvelous. My theories many years ago with Bella were true- it was so much simpler to kill the children. But now I couldn't shake the sight of the little girl, lying so innocently in bed… I shuddered. Poor girl.
The kitchen was a place I was a bit wary to enter. It reeked of human food- ugh. I wrinkled my nose and made my way through quickly. There wasn't much, though. Bella's scent was on the money jar, so I was sure she was planning to go food shopping later on.
The living room had a rather lived in look. A worn sofa, a big TV, a coffee table with plenty of stains on it… it seemed homely. I sat down on the couch, listening to the rain in silence. I could get used to this place and I was sure to be here a lot. Bella would be in school and I would be here. Alone.
Of course, if I went to school with her I would be able to get closer much easier. The idea of school intrigued me, ever since it had been mentioned in 1948. I wasn't sure my resistance would be strong enough, but I could try.
I would need to find a "home" with the Swans. Perhaps Bella could convince her father that I was a runaway, that I needed shelter. Charlie was a police officer, though, wouldn't he file the case? It was worth a try. If not, I could always frighten him into it. I would have no trouble being eighteen, but I would need a place of residence. As I said, I could get used to it here.
I glanced at the clock, and judging by the increased traffic, school was over. I dashed up to Bella's room to wait for her. I resumed my seat in the rocking chair and sat still as a statue.
She entered about half an hour later. With a soft plop, her book bag hit the ground. I still did not move. Instead, I fought my instincts. She sighed and glanced around her room. Her shrieks pierced the silence as her eyes settled on me – a killer.
"Sh!" I hushed quickly, snapping up into a standing position. "I'm your friend, remember? Well, at least, I want to be." She watched me with frightened eyes.
"What do you want?" she asked me shakily.
"Honestly?" She nodded and I grinned. Good, this would be perfect for frightening her. She would do anything for me! "Your blood. But I'm working to resist it. I also want protection from them. Perhaps friendship, a home, I don't know, really."
"Last night, was she one of the people you're trying to hide from?" I nodded and shock filled her eyes. "The Cullens don't like me much. Not Edward, at least," she whispered softly, almost sadly. Then her rage erupted. "But he's just a rich, stuck up jerk! I didn't do anything to him!"
"That's right, you tell him!" I commented blankly, amused with her secrets. She frowned and watched me.
"What are you?"
"Jasper. You know that," I grinned, trying to ignore the wording of her question. She said what are you, not who are you.
"No, I know who you are… but what are you?" I paused, trying to gauge how much fright I should give her at once. I decided that this couldn't hurt much.
"Vampire. Them too, the… what did you call them? Ah, yes, Cullens. They're vampires, too." I waved my hand, brushing it aside as if it were nothing. I stepped forward gracefully, towards her- she was frozen in place.
"Your eyes are red," she commented breathlessly. I nodded wordlessly, watching the blood seep into her cheeks. "You… you killed that little girl, didn't you?"
"You're smarter than I thought you were… yes, I killed her. It was a nice meal." I stroked her warm skin briefly before stepping back. I was tempting myself with the blood. I couldn't risk it. She shivered, but made no move. "You will tell your father I am a runaway. You will ask that I stay here. I will enroll myself into school – I'm eighteen," I commanded, telling her my story. "Memorize the facts, learn them. If you don't…" I trailed off, shrugging. I would let her think that up herself.
Her heartbeat increased rabidly. She would obey me, I was sure of it. Her chocolate eyes were wide and fearful, like a deer's. The only difference is that she would taste a lot better than an animal. The realization came to me suddenly and I collapsed.
--Flashback--
"Deer? Why in the world would I eat deer?" I hissed as she pulled me along. She turned back, disbelief in her eyes.
"I just told you- that family drinks from animals! We ought to try. I do." I grabbed my hand back sharply, wincing at the thought of animals. "It doesn't taste the same, but it's okay," she continued in a small voice. I shut my eyes again, trying to envision myself drinking from an animal… but couldn't. I couldn't fight the affection seeping out of both of us though. I reached for her hand again, and it felt warm, even with our icy skin.
"Deer it is," I gulped uncertainly, but her face lit up and my heart melted.
--Flashback--
Her heartbeat fluttered nearby and I snarled threateningly. She backed away uncertainly.
"Get away from me, Bella," I growled and she took one more step towards the door. "No – sit down on the bed." She paused for a moment, watching me carefully. "Now!"
When I looked up, she was perched on the edge. I glared at her, for making me remember. The action repulsed me. It almost made her seem unappetizing. Almost.
I stood carefully and tried to continue as I was before. It was impossible- she had seen me in my weakened state. Her emotions, still frightened but not as intensified as before, were filled with pity now. I brushed that aside.
"Tell me about these Cullens," I demanded quietly, taking my seat on the rocking chair.
"They're beautiful," she began, slowly at first, but increasing with speed as she went. "They don't talk to anyone but each other, they're pale, just as pale as you, Edward seems to hate me, and Alice was in my room last night, but she pretended she didn't know me."
"Anything else?"
"Yes. Their eyes are gold." I pondered this for a moment before dismissing her.
"Go. Do your homework or whatever it is you humans do in the evenings." She left as swiftly as a clumsy human could. I would have to be careful about that. Clumsy equals accidents which equal blood which equals, in the end, me killing her and me getting killed by the Cullens. They were a large coven, I remembered. I struggled to bring up her words from so long ago, but they had been blocked for so long. It was difficult. It hurt. And if I was able to do this with even half the intensity to Bella, I would know that my plan was successful.
I hope you liked it! My inspiration song for this part of the story was definitely I Hate Everything About You by Three Days Grace. I tend to use one song for inspiration for certain chapters and moods. The first few are the above song. As I'm getting into it, it's definitely changing to As Long As You're Mine from Wicked. At the rate I'm working, it's already been popping up in my head (and in my IPOD!). For some reason, I've been listening to Bleeding Love, Damaged, and Into The Night (where did that last one come from??). They seem to help, but since I only have one of them, YouTube is constantly up!